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A retired Kiplinger Personal Finance writer says she and her husband plan to remain in Northern Virginia, weighing nearby health care and public transportation against higher housing and living costs. A 2024 Transamerica survey cited in the report found 62% of retirees stayed in their pre-retirement home. The account is a personal decision, not a recommendation that staying is best for every retiree.
A retired Kiplinger Personal Finance writer says she and her husband plan to stay in Northern Virginia rather than move to a retirement destination, citing nearby medical care and transit while acknowledging higher living and housing costs. Her account, published by Seniors Guide, describes a personal choice—not a general recommendation—and comes alongside a 2024 survey finding that 62% of retirees stayed in the home they occupied before retirement.
The writer said she had spent years researching retirement destinations, including college towns, beach communities and places abroad. She and her husband considered where they might want to live, including places they enjoyed visiting, but concluded that remaining near Washington, D.C., better suited their needs. Their home is less than two miles from a major hospital center, she wrote, with medical specialists available across the metropolitan area.
Transportation access is another reason they expect to stay. The couple lives less than two miles from a Metro rail station and near a bus stop. The writer said those options could help them get around if they eventually stop driving, with ride-sharing services as another possibility. She contrasted that with her rural hometown, where she said public transit is unavailable and residents may depend on acquaintances for rides.
The choice comes with financial trade-offs. The writer described the area’s cost of living and property taxes as high, noting that the value of their home has risen. She said Virginia does not tax Social Security benefits, while most other retirement income is subject to a top state rate of 5.75%; eligible retirees can deduct up to $12,000, according to her report. She said the plan feels manageable for now but may need to change.
How Local Services Shape the Choice
The account highlights how retirement location decisions can depend on more than climate, scenery or a lower home price. Access to specialists, hospitals and transportation can affect whether someone can remain independent as their needs change. For this couple, being near services and having alternatives to driving weigh against the area’s higher costs.
The 2024 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey cited in the report offers a broader point of comparison: 62% of retirees said they remained in their pre-retirement home. Among retirees who moved, the report says, 36% wanted to be closer to family and friends, about a third downsized, and about a quarter moved to a lower-cost community. These are reported survey findings; the source does not provide further methodological details in the supplied material.
Those figures do not establish that staying is financially or practically preferable. They show that relocation can involve different priorities, including family, housing size and affordability. The writer’s experience illustrates why retirees may need to weigh local services against expenses and keep their plans open to revision.
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The Writer’s Changing Retirement Plan
During her time as a full-time staff writer at Kiplinger Personal Finance, the author wrote or edited nearly a dozen stories about potential retirement destinations. She said readers often responded with their own views of the communities covered, and she sometimes imagined living in places she researched or visited.
Her eventual plan is less about choosing a new destination than making more use of where she already lives. She described retirement as an extended staycation, with plans to visit local parks and museums, take adult education classes and get to know neighbors. She also recalled helping shovel snow for older residents on her street and hopes younger neighbors may help her in the future.
The writer mentioned friends who made different choices: one couple moved closer to adult children, others relocated to the Midwest to reduce costs, and another couple downsized into a 55-plus community. Those examples are personal anecdotes, not survey evidence, but they show the range of considerations behind the decision to stay or move.
““For now, I think our plan is manageable, but I’m also aware of the need to be flexible.””
— Sandra Block
When Staying May Stop Working
The writer has not said that the couple has made an irreversible decision. She explicitly allows that they could move if their neighborhood changes or aging in place becomes impractical. The report does not give a timeline for reassessing the plan or detailed estimates of their future housing, health care or transportation expenses.
The supplied account also does not provide the full methodology for the Transamerica survey, including its sample size or field dates. Its figures should be read as findings reported from that survey, not as a complete explanation of why retirees stay or move. Individual costs, health needs, family circumstances and available services can differ substantially.
Plans for Staying, With Flexibility
For now, Block says she and her husband expect to remain in Northern Virginia and explore more of their local area through parks, museums and adult education. She also plans to build stronger ties with neighbors. No move or formal reassessment date is specified in the report.
The longer-term decision remains open: the couple may have to reconsider if costs rise, neighborhood conditions change, or staying no longer meets their needs. The report offers no announced next development; its central takeaway is that their current plan balances local access against expenses while leaving room for change.
Key Questions
What did the retired writer decide about moving?
She and her husband currently plan to stay in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. She says the plan could change if staying becomes impractical.
What reasons did she give for staying?
She cited nearby hospital and specialist access, plus Metro rail, bus service and ride-sharing options that could help if the couple stops driving.
What drawbacks did she identify?
She described higher living costs and property taxes in the area. Her report also notes that most types of retirement income in Virginia are taxed, with a top rate of 5.75%, and that eligible retirees can deduct up to $12,000.
How many retirees stayed in their pre-retirement home?
The report cites a 2024 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey finding that 62% of retirees stayed in the home they lived in before retiring. The supplied material does not give the survey’s sample size or field dates.
Is the report saying retirees should stay close to home?
No. It presents one household’s reasoning and survey figures, not a universal recommendation. The writer notes that costs, health care access and whether aging in place remains practical could change her family’s decision.
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